Where Can You Rockhound In Oklahoma?

The southwest, southcentral and southeastern portions of Oklahoma are the best for rockhounding. The Comanche County – Lawton area, McCurtain County, and Garvin County, contain several locations for gemstone hunting, primarily in the mining stones available to the public, among other places.

Where can you dig for gemstones in Oklahoma?

Great Salt Plains State Park
Great Salt Plains State Park in Jet, Oklahoma, is the only place in the world where you can dig for these hourglass-shaped crystals. You’ll find the state park about 45 miles northeast of Enid at 23280 S Spillway Drive in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.

Is it illegal to take rocks in Oklahoma?

yes. You can take rocks and minerals from public lands.

Can you find agates in Oklahoma?

A second agate occurrence in Oklahoma is in the central part of the state and is in the Boley Conglomerate Mem- ber of the Vamoosa Formation. This agate – appropriately named Boley agate – not only is beautiful as lapidary material but has an interesting, albeit poorly known, geological history.

Where can you mine in Oklahoma?

The most prominent coal-producing areas are in the McAlester and Coalgate districts of southeastern Oklahoma. Some of the more successful mining towns were McAlester, Krebs, Hartshorne, Adamson, and Lehigh.

What rocks are worth money in Oklahoma?

Where to Find Crystals and Gemstones in Oklahoma

• Great Salt Plains – ‘Hourglass’ selenite crystals.
• Carrizozo Creek – Rose agates, agatized wood.
• Seiling & Taloga – Agate, jasper, jadeite.
• Altus – Smoky quartz crystals.
• Alva – Banded & mossy agates, jasper, chalcedony.
• Canadian River – Agate, jasper, petrified wood.

Can you find quartz crystals in Oklahoma?

Quartz. Quartz is another fairly common mineral that you can collect from Oklahoma. The crystalline silica quartz found in Oklahoma are generally clear in color although occasionally smoky varieties can also be found. You can find quartz specimens in the Ouachita and Wichita Mountains.

Are any gemstones found in Oklahoma?

You can find many different types of gemstones, minerals, and other interesting materials in Oklahoma. In Comanche County and the McCurtain County, quartz, malachite, aegirine, orthoclase, and barite are common. However, if you want a more unusual gemstone, such as brochantite, you have to go to Garvin County.

Can you take rocks from the forest?

Limited collection [1] of rocks and minerals for personal use is allowed on most National Forest System lands. These materials may be collected without a permit provided the collecting is for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use.

Can you keep fossils you find on public land?

Semiprecious gemstones, mineral specimens, and common invertebrate fossils (such as snail, clam, and leaf fossils) may be collected from public lands (that are open to rockhounding) in reasonable amounts for personal use. The collection of any vertebrate fossils is prohibited without a permit.

What kind of crystals can you find in Oklahoma?

This is the only place in the world that you can find hourglass selenite gypsum crystals. The park is located 8 miles north of the small town of Jet in northwestern Oklahoma. Selenite crystals from this location are unique because clay particles are trapped within the crystals as they form.

What is Rose Rock from Oklahoma?

The State Rock of Oklahoma
Few mineral specimens are as distinctly recognizable and traceable to source as the barite roses from Oklahoma. These are also known as “rose rocks” and “barite-sand rosettes.” Other than minor occurrences in Kansas, Morocco, and Australia, the barite roses are unique to this state.

Are there any abandoned mines in Oklahoma?

There are more than 70,000 acres of abandoned coal mines in the state, underground and on the surface.

Where is gold found in Oklahoma?

There are two main locations where gold is found in the state. The Ouachita Mountains near Arkansas has stories of gold being discovered, and the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. Ouachita Mountains gold in southeastern Oklahoma is quite limited.

How do you get a mining permit in Oklahoma?

ISSUANCE OF MINING PERMITS AND AMENDED PERMITS
Before commencement of mining operations, a permit must be obtained from the Department. A permit is issued when the mine operator submits an acceptable application and posts adequate bond to cover the reclamation of the site.

What does malachite look like?

Malachite is recognized for its striking green color ranging from pastel green to bright green and ending at the dark green spectrum. The actual gems are found along the surface of underground caves as a Malachite cluster of stalactites and they are cut from these caves in two pieces or slabs.

Where can I find chert in Oklahoma?

Chert Distribution in Oklahoma
The distribution of chert within Oklahoma is mostly concentrated within the Ozark Uplift in the northeast portion of the state, and also the north central Flint Hills region of Kay and Osage counties (Banks, 1990; Gould, 1921; Huffman, 1955).

Can you find obsidian in Oklahoma?

We don’t have [many] big things like a core you’d take flake off of; there’s two in the whole state out of 2,500 obsidian artifacts.” Oliver said it’s likely that the obsidian found in Oklahoma got here through various trade routes.

Where are Rose rocks found?

central Oklahoma
Rose rocks are found in central Oklahoma, although barite deposits also occur in the Wichita and Ouachita mountains. Similar rosettes occur in Kansas, California, and Egypt.

Where can I find pyrite in Oklahoma?

Pyrite from Oklahoma, USA

Is petrified wood illegal?

Petrified wood is a fossil, and it is legally protected in the United States. Please remember that people have gone to jail for collecting petrified wood on lands that do not permit removing natural materials or fossils specifically and do not risk it.